Way back in the mists of time (otherwise known as the late 1980s and early 1990s) I was a student living in Manchester absorbing a lot of that excellent city's life, culture and ... not inconsiderable precipitation...

If Suarez doesn't win the award, as seems likely, it is because he is a villain of Iago-esque proportions, the bête noire of the Premier League. He's not just the player who everyone loves to hate, he genuinely is hated.

The French come with no pressure, no expectation, and that is when they are at their most dangerous. If England take to the field with the right attitude, then they have the ability to win, if they lose focus at any time, then the French could start smiling.

In 2007 Nicholas Sarkozy promised that he would eradicate homelessness if he were elected President of France. The plight of those affected by the French housing crisis have just been given a surprise celebrity spokesman in the form of footballer turned actor turned French national treasure, Eric Cantona.